Edward a



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

\ s.- E.-DAVIs. PIRE BSGAPBLADDER. ]}Io."29'6,145; Patented Apr. l, 18,84.

l FL' .Z'

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. E. DAVIS.

HRB ESCAPE 11111311311,V 1 y i UNITED STATES PATENT OEECE.

, sAMUEL npAvis, or JOLIET, ILLiNoIs, Assienon on ONE-HALE` To EDWARD A.Y EoAZ, 'oE sAME PLACE.

Fmr-:,-EscAPE LADDER.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,145, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed June 6, 1883. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

`13e it known that I, SAMUEL E. DAvrs, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Joliet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain -new and useful Improvementspin Fire-Escape Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. Figure l is aside elevation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the ladder when folded and down on `the ground; Fig. 3, a side view of the upper end of the ladder disconnected, with the window-sill grapple; Fig. 4, a side view of the ends of two of the sections of the ladder, showing how they hinge together, and extended `and lockedopen; Fig. 5, a similar view of two sections folded together1 and locked; Fig. 6, a perspective View, showing the manner of attaching the rounds to the folding bar, and also the `manner. of attaching a supporting cord or wire to sustain the outer ends of the rounds5and Fig. 7, a face or front view ofthe hook on the upper end of the ,ladden showing it divided in two parts or prongs, and having rollers in each prong to roll against the side of a building.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fire-escape ladders, and is of that class that are intended to be portable and folding, so as to be eXtensible by unfolding to any desired height, and intended to be used to extend up to the windows or any place on a burning building, to enable per.

sons to escape oriiremen to ascend. Referring to the drawings, H represents the folding bar, made inV sections and having each section hinged together by the hinges B, soit will extend, as shown in Fig. l, or fold up, as shown in Fig. 2. The bar is provided along up each side with rounds D,which may be attached to it by being pivoted thereto, as shown'in Fig. 3, or attached permanently, as shown particularly in Fig. d, by means of their flared inner ends being inclosed by the collar d, which screws to the side of the bar H. The outer ends of the rounds D are supported by a strong cord or wire, w, which may be attached to the rounds by passing through a slit, fu, as shown inf Fig. 8, and taking a turn or so around the end of thc round to support lin the round, or it may have knots, as shown at 102 in Fig. 3, upon which the rounds can rest, if desired. In either case the wire w attaches at its upper end to the bar H, as shown in Figs. land 3, so as to holdthe rounds from falling below a level at their outer ends. Brace-wires w3 serve to stiften the ladder laterally by acting as abridging when the ladder isextended, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the wire fw is provided with the knots fw?, it passes through the end of each round loosely through a loop, and when the ladder is taken down to be folded the wire w is loosened at the bottom, so the rounds can fold upward, as shown in said Fig. 3, by permitting the wire w to slide in the loop in the ends of the rounds. The wire w is provided along its length with hinges w', or, in other words, is cutinfsec tions and looped together at w', so it will fold with the bar H, the loops fw being opposite the hinges B of the bar H, as shown. rIhe brace-wires w" loop over the wire w, so it can slide along on said wire above the knotswz, to`

assist in folding or extending-the bar H. The upper end of the bar H terminates in a grappling-hook, a, to hook into a window,` or on any object after the ladder is extended. This hook amay terminate in two hooks or prods, as shown in Fig. 7, and be provided with rollers h h,to roll up against the side of a building.

The means for locking each section of the bar H tohold them extended, and so they may not fold up whennot desired, is shown in Fig. 5. The latch B2 is pivoted into the corner of one section at B3, and has a flattened surface engaging with a spring, z, contained within the section, so that its resiliency will hold the latch either extended or closed. To hold the bar H extended, the latch catches into the notch B, as shown in Fig. 4.. To hold the bar H folded, it will catch into the notch B4, as shown in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of more securely holding the upper end of the ladder into a window, it is provided at its upper end with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. A horizontal bar, s, is pivoted to the upper end of the upper section of theV bar H, to which are attached two vertical bars, t and t, which slide along on the bar s by means of said bar s passing through mortises in their upper ends. These two vertical bars t and t each terminate at their lower ends in hooks or grapples P and P', pointing horizontally vtoward each other, and are drawn toward each other by the resiliency of the coilspring s', which connects them at their upper ends immediately beneath ,the bar s, a cord, c, running from the ground up along the bar H, through eyes f5, along its length over a pulley, It and R, and iinally through the eye on the bar t', and attaches to the pawl P2, pivoted on the side of bar t', so its up'per or outer end can engage with a ratchet along on the under side of the bar s. A pull on the cord c will elevate the outer end vof lever s by means of the lever a', pivo'ted on the sideof the bar H, so its outer end rests against the under side of said lever s and its outer end attached to the cord c. Also, the cord c will pull down on ratchet or pawl P2 and release it from the ratchet on the under side of bar s, so said cord can pull the bar t back far enough so the space between bars t and t will -be Wide enough so they will inclose the sill s2 of the window. By releasing the tension on cord c the spring s will draw the two bars t -and t together, so their prods P and P will grapple over the windowsill to hold the upper end of the ladder up to the window, (as shown in Fig. 1,) so that ingress and egress at a Window may be had at any story of a building in avery few minutes after an alarm of fire. This attachment can be taken oft1 and the ladder used ,with only the hook a when desired.

IVhen it is desired to extend the ladder to a considerable height the pivoted rounds D, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used on either side of the bar H, either single or double, in which 'case they act as a truss to strengthen the ladder laterally, so it can be raised without fear of its swaying or bending sidewise. Vhen used double, `a double set of supporting-wires may be used. In such case thevpivoted rounds and wires will fold close to the barvH, so as to be out of the way when folding the ladder, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described 1nyinvention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. The combination of the folding bar H, rounds D, wire fw, and hook ct, all adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the folding bar H, rounds D, cords lw, having knots wz, and loops w, locking-latch B2, and hook a, all adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the bar H, cord c, pivoted bars, vertical sliding bars tand t', having the prods P and P', and pawl and ratchet Pi, all adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In the fire-escape ladder described, the cord c, adapted to extend the bar s, and separate the grappling-bars t t', in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. 'Ihe combination of thel folding bar H, bar s, cord c, and grappling-bars t t', having the hooks P and P', all adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL E. DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

WM. J. HUroHrNs, S. IV. VETMORE. 

